I highly value the relationship between the school, the SRO and health services. In my previous world, I have experienced the positives and the greatness that wrap-around supports can provide for children and families. Having previously been part of wrap-around supports that include children services, health services, police/justice, and various community resources I can attest to the level of support that can be achieved. As a member of 5 different functioning teams of specialized individuals (school, health services, and police) it is apparent that this triad is very capable of providing the resources necessary for children to have opportunities to be successful at life.
I have the pleasure of working closely with 2 teams of school staffs, and 2 SROs within ECSD, and 3 Teams of school staff with, and 3 SROs within EPSB. The 5 teams that I am a part of function to support children in similar fashions. As a therapist who comes from the crisis world, I am familiar with working closely with the police so when I first entered this role, the first thing that I wanted to achieve was to build a strong partnership not just between myself (health services) and the school, but between myself and the SROs.
My idea of a strong partnership between the officers and myself is modeled after the relationships that mental health therapists have with PACT officers. I came into this role with the belief that the officers I work with should feel a level of support that allows them to know they are not alone and are supported in their work with students who present with elements of mental health challenges. At first, I wasn’t sure how this was going to unfold as I’m only in each school 1 per week; however, over time I have seen it blossom many different ways. I have found the officers to be warm and welcoming to health services, and keen to ask questions about behaviours, and mood states that they see in the children they encounter. The officers are open to consultation, requesting input and opinion about situations they face. The officers all are open to candid discussion, and engage in learning about different mental health issues, along with treatment for same. All of this is important to the partnership because they are all open to my own inquiries of learning about criminogenic factors that affect the children. This does not just stop at health services, I have been able to observe the same for the officers in their actions with the school. They will seek out, ask questions, and provide strong, positive and valuable solutions to situations. The officers consistently follow through on the tasked action items. And when there is opportunity to put all three stakeholders together in a room with case presentations/consultations there is genuine compassion, empathy and immediate support that can be put into action within a very short period of time for the child at risk.
I have had the pleasure of experiencing many successes in addressing complex mental health, providing children with support for academic success, and providing prevention /mitigating unhealthy behaviours that put children at risk with the SRO, the school and health service partnership.
These are just a few examples of how the partnership works:
- SROs are welcome to sit in on crisis mental health assessments. In September, the SRO was able to partake on a crisis assessment that I completed on a student that was under the influence at school. Other SROs have been able to sit in on Crisis Assessments for suicidal/homicidal children that have resulted in children requiring hospitalization.
- SROs are open to understanding why a child may need to be apprehended under the recommendation from a mental health assessment when the child is deemed to be at risk.
- SROs are open to recommending health services for follow up – i.e. Addictions counselling, PCHAD, etc. when they encounter substance use behaviours in adolescents.
- SROs think outside traditional crime and punishment thinking. They provide alternative options for children to learn from their actions, and are given opportunities for change. • SROs have come asking about children’s cognitive limitations, and have sought out learning about children with various developmental needs – and then seek out ways of interacting with said students in ways that are more relatable to the child when the child’s capacity for insight is limited.
There have been a few key incidents that stand out for me, in which I cannot put a price on the partnership because it is priceless...
- I had a student at my school who was homicidal/suicidal, and I deemed high risk. This student was a clear apprehension and needed psychiatry; my SRO was off site, and I was unable to get ahold of the officer, so I was able to call another SRO at another site, who was also willing to help, and directed me to an available SRO at an Edmonton Catholic High School. We have worked together in our 2nd year at the school, understood how I worked, and knew the validity of my assessment – he called patrol, and was able to articulate to patrol what had occurred, and what I needed help with. He was able to get patrol to attend, and work with me to help take this client to hospital under the mental health act. I greatly appreciate the efficiency that this affords to the situation. I also appreciate how the officer trusted in the partnership “vouched” for the mental health work that was already completed. This afforded me the opportunity to transition the student to hospital with dignity and respect.
- I was made aware of a student who was high on school property- the SRO sat in on the assessment with the student and myself to assess risk. We were able to get the student’s parents to school, and she was taken home. However, after that incident, the SRO was able to understand why the student was high, and how the student’s mental health was impacting her ability to make healthy coping choices. Instead of being punitive and dismissive of the student for drug use, she had empathy towards the student and continued to offer support and follow up with the student by assisting with risk mitigation, due to the nature of people the child was associating with. I greatly appreciated how she was able to recognize and work with the knowledge of the severity of mental health symptoms that were the contributing factor of drug use for this student.
The highlights of my day are to see students yell out in the hall "hi Constie” and want to hang out in the Constable’s Office, and just be playful and collegial with them. I am continuously blown away by these officers’ ability to continue to break down the barriers of stigma and attitudes that many children grow up with and the dedication that they have to their role as a healthy role model that can influence children’s daily lives. It is a pleasure to work alongside them within the schools."